Microsoft has been very cagey about Windows 7, the successor to Windows Vista that is set for a 2010 release. Theories about the company's silence on Windows 7 are numerous, but most point directly to Microsoft senior vice president Steven Sinofsky, the man most directly responsible for Windows development. That's because Sinofsky is close-lipped and calculated, in direct contrast to his predecessor, Jim Allchin. This week, however, Sinofsky and company opened the doors and offered a brief peek at Windows 7 for the first time. A very brief peek.

Rather than write about nothing happening or maybe that something might happen at some point in the future, I think I'll point you instead to a very lengthy interview with Steven Sinofsky, the man most directly responsible for the next version of Windows. My recommendation here is simple: Read it, and careful, Parse what he's saying and what he's not saying. This is the first time he's spoken at length about Windows 7 and you're going to want to pay attention to this.

Discuss this Article 8

I think that Microsoft gets that Windows Vista's biggest problem is marketing. It became (and still is) cool to say that Vista sucks. In terms of public perception, Vista is the K Mart of operating systems. Microsoft badly needs to change that dynamic in Windows 7. The best way to do that may be to pull a Steve Jobs and tell people as little as possible until the thing is released.

I think it would be nice to know if MS has a concrete plan, message, vision, etc. for the next version.
Sinofsky's demeanor seems too far the opposite of what occurred with Vista. I realize he's used to dealing with corporations as the Office head, but why agree to an interview when you want to say nothing?
As far as what he actually said, I wonder how useful it is to tailor your message to different audiences in the internet age. I know marketing does this all the time, one message for winsupersite, and another for cnet or whatever, but I have to wonder at its effectiveness. It seems that corporations and consumers agree about Vista, for example.

I really do think Microsoft should silent about Windows Seven until Beta 1 is 90% complete. However, I do feel Micrsoft should go on a PR offensive and start to dispell truth from fiction about Vista. After playing with some brand new Macs over the weekend, the overwhelming thought was, "this is no different from the first Mac OS 24 years ago." That thought right there could be the basis for some great television commericals for Microsoft. As for Seven, until it is leaps and bound better than "Leopard" and a major improvement over Vista, just keep working on it. I think the new pillars of Seven speaks about the direction enough.

The worlds richest man and his sweaty, gorilla pet demoed the future of Windows using Windows Paint - an application that has barely been updated since Windows 3.0, 17 years ago.
But at least... at the very least they were standing right there watching as they showed the world they just don't get it anymore.

"After playing with some brand new Macs over the weekend, the overwhelming thought was, "this is no different from the first Mac OS 24 years ago.""
Well, you know...when you get it right the first time...
;-)

"The worlds richest man and his sweaty, gorilla pet demoed the future of Windows using Windows Paint - an application that has barely been updated since Windows 3.0, 17 years ago."
"Well, you know...when you get it right the first time...
;-)"

@ Lotsa,
No, they didn't get it right. Thats why millions of users have migrated to the Windows platform. Thats why for 15 years Microsoft has held the first place of the desktop marketshare. Frankly, many of the same issues that plagued Macs in the 1990s still plague Leopard today.
Frankly, I find the lack of evolution and change in the Mac OS operating system insulting and stale. Who wants to be apart of a simplistic interface that neither changes or grows up with the users? I guaratee you if I found some Mac user in 1984 and brought him to 2008 to use Mac, the first question he probably will say is, why has this not changed significantly in 24 years? The state of computing has come leaps and bounds. We still don't drive cars using the 1950's bodystyle and form. I think OS-X is way overdue for a major overhaul.

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